Theme Park News: Major Updates Coming to Carousel of Progress at Walt Disney World
Greetings and welcome to another theme park news update! It is already a busy week with the official kickoff of Cool KIDS’ SUMMER at Walt Disney World along with the reopening of newly reimagined rides, including Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets and Soarin’ Across America. There’s no rest for the weary this week, as we have a couple of major stories from both the Disney and Universal theme park realms with some exciting projects to look forward to in the not-so-distant future. Let’s dive in and take a look at what families can expect heading into this summer as well as looking further ahead to 2027.
Timeline Revealed For Carousel of Progress’ Major Refresh at Disney World
Disney World has several exciting updates and refreshes in the works, with a slew of them having just opened in time for Cool KIDS’ SUMMER. Looking ahead, there’s a great, big, beautiful update coming to Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom.
It was previously announced that the ride would get a refresh with an Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney coming to the attraction’s opening scene. We now know more details about the full scope of this update, including a timeline of when we can expect these changes to begin.
In short, Carousel of Progress is getting a complete re-vamp with four brand-new show scenes, new Audio-Animatronics, sets, and more. What’s staying the same is true to the heart of the attraction: the family, the theme song, and the spirit of progress.
Carousel of Progress’ final day in its current version is July 5, 2026. As of July 6, the attraction will be temporarily unavailable. When the attraction reopens sometime in 2027, its new scenes will include the 1969 moon landing, a Halloween evening in the 1980s, ringing in the new year on December 31, 1999, and “a distant future.”
READ MORE: WHAT’S NEW AT WALT DISNEY WORLD THIS SUMMER
Universal Kids Resort Opens in Frisco, Texas on July 1
We have major news out of Frisco, Texas, where the first-ever Universal Kids Resort will open this summer. It was announced this week that the family theme park and resort destination will open on July 1, 2026.
Universal Kids Resort will include seven uniquely themed lands that celebrate the characters and stories from the following franchises: DreamWorks’ Shrek’s Swamp, Jurassic World Adventure Camp, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom, Illumination’s Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club, DreamWorks’ TrollsFest, DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots Del Mar and the Isle of Curiosity featuring DreamWorks’ Gabby’s Dollhouse.
1-Day and 2-Day General Admission tickets, overnight accommodations at Universal Kids Resort Hotel, and the first year’s Annual Passes are on sale now.
READ MORE: WHAT SURPRISED ME THE MOST ABOUT UNIVERSAL EPIC UNIVERSE
Rapid-fire news!
- Disneyland Magic Key renewals now include a Dining Card offer. Renewals between May 27, 2026 and May 26, 2027 will include a Disney Dining Card for each Magic Key at the following amounts: Inspire – $100, Believe – $75, Explore – $50, and Imagine – $25.
- For the first time since 2021, Disneyland Resort will no longer have a time restriction on Park Hopping. For the past several years, Park Hopping was not permitted before 11:00 AM. As of June 9, that rule will be suspended. Guests with Park Hopper privileges will be allowed to hop between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure at their leisure any time of the day. Park reservations are still required.
- Disney World’s airport luggage transfer program has expanded to include more participating airlines. Guests staying at any of Disney World’s Value Resorts and flying on Southwest, United, or American will be able to enroll in the complimentary program. Fingers crossed this program continues to expand to include all resorts and airlines!
- Disney World has announced its Fourth of July Fireworks schedule. Disney’s Celebrate America! – A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky will perform at Magic Kingdom on three nights — a first for the park — on July 3, 4, and 5 at 9:00 PM. EPCOT’s The Heartbeat of Freedom will also perform on three nights (another first, since EPCOT’s fireworks historically only takes place on the Fourth), on July 3, 4, and 5 at 9:15 PM.